Lavardin Technologies : The new French sound !

It's about time that we take note of a new audio brand, lavardin, which has already become a "cult" on the continent.

It happens from time time but all too rarely these times, which is perhaps due to that one becomes a bit more blase and lazy when listening to hifi. But when occasionally there is a sparks of light and you get to hear something that will give you new inspiration and shows you a new angle on what good sound reproduction is all about. You know, don't you, that certain products make you feel like a child on Christmas Day again, you sit there with rosy cheeks into the small hours and just keep on feeling the set with more and more CD's.

That has just happened to me again, and this time with a vengeance. The days of wonder are not over yet. You have probably heard all of this many times before, but believe me when I say that this time we are talking about something that will quickly become a classic. In fact, a true cult classic ! I find it very hard myself to keep my objective cool to this Frenchman. As you have probably already guessed, all this is about an amp, and on top of that, a sparsely equipped integrated transistor amp of a mere 35 watts.

In addition, it weighs alarmingly little, costs quite a handsome sum and on top of all this, it comes from a new , unknown, little French enterprise. In other words, it has all the odds against it. Don't misunderstand me. There are some quite remarkable French hi-fi, but for some weird cultural reason, French electronics usually find it hard to enter the minds of the Swedish audiophiles.

NO SPRING CHICKENS

The firm I'm going on about is called Lavardin, which despite being newly formed, has many years of advanced base research to fall back on. The two founders are in fact no spring chickens when it comes to electronics and in addition they are both passionate audiophiles...

It has taken the two gentlemen 12 years to develop measurement methods, not to mention measurement instruments, to circle in on the phenomenon named memory distortion. This sort of distortion, or rather the absence of it, is said to be the most important reason why tube electronis, primarily the triode tube one, in spite of it's technical flaws and measuring deficiencies, often sounds more musical and more genuine and natural than transistor electronics...

A NEW POINT OF REFERENCE

Lavardin Technologies now has seven models that all are said to combine "the low distortion of transistor, high linearity and effect with the one-phase triode's silk-smooth tone and vivid musicality. Big words perhaps, but the Lavardin duo don't content themselves with just that, but call their discoveries and solutions the greatest progress in analogue audio design in twenty years. No false modesty there, but the funny thing is that it seems to be true. This we can claim after having had the opportunity to test the firm's smallest model, the minimalistical little integrated Model IS, an annoyingly simple, yes bearing in mind the sound, the spitefully simple unit.

Because it does not take many seconds of listening to realise that lavardin has some inherent qualities outside the normal. Yes, I dare say that it is somthing truly unique. Little IS is in fact totally devoid of the impression that it is electronic reproduction one listens to. Precisely the feeling that one is not listening to a hi-fi set at all is sensational.

Is is in addition exceptionally dynamical, with a relentless and urging sense of rhythm, wich does not leave even the sleepiest of idle listeners unmoved. We who were listening were also struck by how flowingly organically and airily the sound streams through the amp, completely devoid of inertia or any tendency of strain. The amp also gives an inner life to the tones and produces an overwhelming amount of details and fine-tuned micro-dynamical nuances.

Much of this reminds you of what you may experience with a really good triode-amp, but with the decisive difference that lavardin has a fully clear and neutral tone. Apart from this, a totally different control of the bass. Despite our model's modest effect resources, the bass also sounded surprisingly explosive and strong. As a matter of fact, some more expensive (much more expensive !) transistor constructions would feel tired and slow compared to the alert energy kick of IS. That it in addition could maintain the control of most of the speakers we hooked to it, we find incomprehensible, bearing in mind the modest dimensions.

THIS IS TOTALLY NUTS

And now we come to the best part of it all, the three-dimensionality and the ability to reproduce the physical environment of the recordings. My god, what realism ! Pure magic and clearly evident to anybody listening. It is a form of room dimensionality, which not only gives a clear profile of the stereo scenery, but also reproduces instruments and vocalists as real physical tonal bodies that seem to be firmly established in acoustical three-dimensional rooms.

The scenery expands all over the place and bends out way forwards the listener, and extends itself widely behind the speakers. Connected to my own surrounding German Physics Windspiel, the effect was so realistic that it left me laughing out loud. How can this be possible? If it were an expensive amp combination in the SEK 80.000 range, then I would have also been impressed, but here we are talking about a mere little integrated amp. It is totally nuts !

WITH A HAPPY SMILE ON OUR FACES

Ok, ok, now they have gone hi-fi crazy again. And, sure, it may sound as an exaggeration, but I'm not alone in this . Half of the hi-fi world in the UK and a large part of the French, seem to have been falling over with euphoria for lavardin, and in particular the larger Model IT. We were ourselves left sitting like living question marks in front of the little IS. But happily smiling question marks!

Ok, it's not a cheap set, but compared to other integrated amps, it is no doubt well worth its price. The fact is, that it in certain aspects leaves many much more expensive competitors way behind! But don't take our word for it, go with an open mind and listen to Lavardin. Bring your favorite recordings and hook up the best, most highly resonant accessories available. And then don't tell us me didn't warn you!